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These workouts were also meant to be far more infrequent than a normal split routine. But how do we define infrequent? How often can we work out and still get great gains? The answer lies in how you manipulate your routine so that you can be training very briefly, very intensely but yet still get into the gym 3-4 times a week without overtraining and burning out. A standard HIT training regimen involves working the entire body over one training session then taking several days off before hitting the entire body again at the next session.

A routine might look something like the following with only one set performed per exercise with 8-10 reps:

Typically you would perform a routine like this on, say, Monday and then follow it up with the same routine on Thursday. Many trainees have also opted to change to a 2 day split program where by half the body is worked on Monday and then the other half on Thursday. This gives more recuperation time for each muscle group and allows for the elimination of some of the overlap involved with doing the whole body routine. This type of splitting is fine as long as the volume is kept very low, somewhere around 12-15 sets per workout or about 30 sets total for the week. This is definitely enough work IF you are taking each set to failure, a practice that true HIT devotees take very seriously indeed.

With that in mind why is it that most HIT trainees assume that this is the only way to train? What stops them from further dividing their program? After pondering this thought for some time I decided that I had to try it out. With the above listed routine in mind I began tearing it down into several workouts of 2-3 exercises each. Since the volume would be very low I decided I could afford to pick all the best exercises and incorporate them all into the schedule while still making sure there was very little overlap between days of training. With that much in mind here’s the routine I recommend:

That’s the entire routine. Each day’s training takes no more than 15 minutes IF you are training intensely. I could usually complete my workout in about 10 minutes. With this in mind I can honestly say there is not a single soul out there who can’t manage to get the body that they crave.

Obviously even on the most rigid of schedules there is a way to get in some kick ass training and build some solid muscle. Sometimes bodybuilding is about finding a routine that matches your lifestyle as much as it suits your goals. Massive muscles in 15 minutes a day and less than 20 sets per week who can argue with that?

S Pitman.

Important notes for HIT training:

1. Training intensely under a HIT regime involves slow reps (2 seconds down, 2 seconds up) with perfect form to complete failure. Rest between reps as long as necessary to complete the full set.

2. It is important to note that many people still passionately debate long after Mike Mentzers death the actual number of sets, with many trainers advocating 1-2 lighter warm up sets, to get the ‘mind to muscle’ link working properly, followed by the intense and serious super slow final set.

3. Taking each set to failure is used to describe, taking your last rep to total failure, this means that however hard you push or pull you cannot achieve another repitition. If you are truly going to failure and in the event of certain exericses, like the squat or Bench press, you would need a spotter to prevent the bar crushing you, unless of course you had the use of a power rack. If you want a true ‘total failure’ set, then you would ’strip the bar’. This is done as follows; say your heaviest bench press is 100 kilos (40kg on each side + 20kg for the bar) for 10 reps. You would load the bar up with 10kg plates on each side (40kg total). As soon as you cannot squeeze out another rep, you would immediately put the bar in the rack and remove 10kg from each side and lift again to failure. At this point again you would immediately put the bar in the rack and remove 10kg from each side. You would keep doing this until you are just literally able to lift the bar itself. Done properly for something like squats you would probably need crutches to walk out the gym, your legs so exhausted that they’d need at least a full week to recover.

I use a similar programme to this and have effective results in a short periodof time(3 Weeks), My view is that a training programme can differ from oneperson to the next! Some people may find this particular programme does not workfor them.

HIT Training creates controversy whenever it is mentioned. The Mike Mentzerapproach has helped literally thousands of natural body builders that are notgenetically gifted achieve worthwhile results without wasteing time with endlesshours of unproductive over training in the gym. Its well worth reading a few ofthe Mentzer books that have been published but do so with an open mind becausemany of the training processes are completely against the grain of thetraditionalist methods. Believe it or not some of his most productive routinesrevolved around only one or two sets of exercises performed with a two week restinbetween, his whole training was based around the fact that the body had torecover fully before it could grow and 24hr to 48hr is simply not enough timewhilst training naturally. The major muscle mags and main stream muscle presshated Mentzer when he was alive for obvious reasons, but his methods were proven

I've been using HIT for almost a year to bulk up, and have had much more successtha with any other type of training. I been doing full-body routines 3 times aweek generally with 8-10 exercises, 1 set of 6-10 with a cadence of 5/5. Thismeans that warmup sets are not necessary due to the slow speed, by the time itgets tough, the muscle has already been gradually warmed up for nearly a minute. I only do a 5 min warmup and down on the cross-trainer. Training with HITmeans you can workout in much less time (provided you push to keep it intenseand keep pushing for that extra rep for 10 seconds or so), and still get greatresults.

I think Richard hit the namil right on the head. Mentzer actually took a muchmore scientific approach to bodybuilding than any other man (expect perhapsArthur Jones). Abandoning tradition, Mike focused on finding the EXACT amountof stimulation required to increase muscle mass and strength. Personally, Iwouldnt recommend anyone do Squats 2 days after deadlifting, especially if theintervening day had involved weight training, as in the above routine. Betterwait until the body is completely recovered before hitting it again.

Personally I train once every 4 days (roughly), and this allows me to hiteach bodypart with maximum intensity. If im still aching from the day before, noway can I generate the amount of stimulation required for maximum musclegrowth.

i just dont see why people feel they have to train at least 4-5 daysa week? If i could train once a week, and get the same results as someonetraining 5 days ...

i was 15 when i did what you call HIT, my friend swears by progressiveresistance but quite simply i did not get results anywhere near as good with PRas i did with HIT; i found that i could increase the weight load far quickerwith HIT and also that it took less of my time. it's because of HIT that i canget back a 6 pack in three days and have a nice set of triceps in about 4 days.this also means that HIT is easier for everyone to use because you don't have tosacrifice huge amounts of time and the pain is only temporary - i once did sucha great set of bench presses that i couldn't lift my arms to eat the roastdinner my mum made me lol...

I've been using HIT for nearly 10 years and wouldn't change it for the world.The high volume stuff never worked for me leading to overtraining, illness andinjuries.

I have to say some of the stuff about HIT in the article above isgetting a bit dated now, as I'm not sure that full body routines are consideredthe norm for HIT trainees these days. Also I agree with what Asanka says, Idon't think doing Squats and Deadlifts so close to each other is a long termprescription for growth as it is too much and would probably lead toovertraining in most drug free people within a month or so. Personally, Iwouldn't recommend doing them in the same week! That said, over a short periodit might produce some "shock" gains before the overtraining setin.

My current routine is deadlifts and crunches at home on a Tuesday orWednesday and then on a Saturday or Sunday I got to the gym and do either Chest,Triceps, Shoulder...

There is no controversy with HIT because it works, no doubt about it. Whenever Igo on a mass cycle I always return to it and in fact use a volume approach tolet my muscles recover.

Also Mentzer achieved a PERFECT score in the Mr.America competition, something which no-one has ever done. He was one of the menwho brought mass to the fore and scared the living daylights out of fellowcompetitors. My favourite story involves him entering Gold's gym eating anice-cream cone while everyone in there was in full contest/diet mode andberating anyone who would try to talk "sense" to him.

My favouritebook by him is his original heavy duty (published in his competive days beforehis 1980 Olympia - a very slim volume and out of print now). Also he advocated a4 up and 4 down cadence and working out no more than 4 days a week because thebody AS A WHOLE needs recovery time.

i have been training at home for 5 months now and although i can see thedifference in my upper body i want that ripped look ! At the moment i am around12 stone 6 lbs 6 ft 2 inch but after my pump has gone i lose some of thedefinition. i train every other day. 3 sets of 10 bench flat 52 kgs, 3 sets of 8incline bench, 3 sets of 12 chest flys 13.6 kgs, 4 sets of 12 chest pullovers, 4sets 10 13.6 bicep curls and finally 3 sets of 10 squats. i don't do any cardioas i wanted to bulk up initially due to being quite slim. anyone got any advice?

I have used HIT (the pre-exhaust system endorsed by Mentzer at the time) - andin a similar split many years ago, it worked very well pushing my bodyweight upto finally over 80-kilo from 78-kilo, which it did in very breif workouts over a6 week period, however at the 7 week point overtraining ensued. I found HITeffective as a short-term 'shock' muscle builder, but I found that it did notbuild strength comparable to the muscle growth. I now rely on multiple sets andthe only true indicator of resistance exercise intensity - %1RM. Carpe Ferrum.

There is always contraversy surrounding HIT, I do 3x a week full body and amcurrently doing Dr.Dardens BIG routine, put on 5lbs of muscle and lost 1lb offat, it does work. Jreps are something worth considering as well and seem toproduce good results. I do 3/3 cadence and no warm up apart from leg press, itreally is not necessary on the slow cadence instead of 1/1 say of a normal repand is all about TUT (time under tension) for the muscle, a good guide is 60secs for the rep. And believe me doing it slower is a lot harder. Go toEllington Dardens website it is worth it to find out more. It is progressive(double progression) ie you start of at 8 reps then when you hit 10 you increasethe weight 5% and so on.
It is brutal if done properly but you can be in andout of the gym in 20mins. i wouldnt train any other way.

i'm a similar position to you (or i was). i'm 6ft-1", but iweigh just under 14stone. the key is protein brother. you wanna be eating about180grams a day. anything with a face on and green fruit/veg. so egg whites,chicken, fish, milk, etc, etc and anything thats green. there is a lot outthere. i also have a large bowl of porridge in the morning. as for drinks, ifyou wanna get ripped you need to keep off the beer. it'll f**k you up. they saythat a pint is equlivant to a bag of chips. j j j jesus!
low intensity cardiois also vital to rip up. i WALK every morning for one hour. 6-7am. its the bestway to lose fat and its the best time too. i did this diet for 12weeks. i traineach muscle group once a week as well. the key to getting big is rest.
33%diet. 33% rest. 33& workout.

Guys, as with anything to do with bodybuilding, there seems to be a lot ofconflicting opinions. Whereas we all have individual experiences, I aminterested in hearing from any qualified nutritionists, or bio-mechanists whocan offer a qualified opinion based on scientific/medical fact as to the successor otherwise of HIT routines.

I'd like to try the routine buthave one little problem, i train at home using free wieghts and a bench (withtower) and was wondering if anyone knows how i can target my calfs withoutowning a calf raising machine?

also, im thinking of using a pre-workoutsupplement such as maximuscle's pump-up to get the most out of my workouts andwas wondering if anyone has any sugesstions on any similar pre-workout products?Im looking for one that gives results but also value for money cos im on quite atight budget! I've looked at most of the products available and would appreciateany feedback on them. cheers to any1 who takes the time to get back to me:)

Gareth and ml, go to ellington dardens (phd) website if you really need to havesomeone with a 'qualification' to tell you and look there or IART. I wouldnt betoo caught up in that and just try it, it works and the results will be almostinstant, if not then try something else.

Calfs are simple get a bit of wood(2*4) or something similar and do one legged calf raises while holding a coupleof dumbells.

Not too enamered by supplements myself.

As arthur jones said'doing a split routine makes about as much sense as sleeping with one eyeopen'.

Ty, thanks for the heads-up but the IART.com site is one of the many reasons whythere is so much mis-information out there. Im not really interested in"Feel Younger, Look Great, Boost Libido" or "New Breakthrough TurnsSkinny Geeks Into Massive Freaks Fast" t(as appearing on IART.com).
Withdue respect to Dr Darden, I am unable to find any information to validate hiscredentials. On his site it does not say anything about his PHD, hisqualifications etc. I can buy a PHD for $500, does that quailfy me???. I didnotice Dardens site is geared towards selling his many books. Therefore Ireitereate my previous post. Are there any 'QUALIFIED' persons out there who canprovide an objective view HIT training.

mentzer for me was the reason i never gave up weights as i think his systemsuits me fine and if you look closely at the last hd workout you will see thatthe muscle groups are actually once per week, ie you stimulate biceps with latpulls even tho its part of your chest and back workout, same with tricep dipsyou are hitting the pecs

Hi,to all of you,mates.Paradise says "I think this way increases the risk ofinjury." It's true because it happened to me!I'm nearly 2 months withouttraining(very frustating)but that's my fault!I should warm up properly,and Idin't!Lower back injury(bad one)from deadlifts.From now on, I'll stick tolight(moderate weights)and high reps(12-15/12-20)for a few months.we must moveto other routines,trying different things,no?Warm up is my first concern,whendealing with heavy loads.Cheers to everyone!;o)

ARTHUR JONES, the man behind the Nautilus equipment, pioneered HIT & duringthe 1960's & 70's instructed many top body builders - Sergio Oliva,CaseyViator,the Mentzer brothers,Franco Columbo,even big Arnie - in it's principles.A fascinating read on the subject is THE NEW HIGH INTENSITY TRAINING byEllington Darden. The first few reps of a set are considered to be sufficientwarm-up. On a personal level i think doing four 15 min workouts a week goesagainst the idea,better to do two 30 mins & have more rest days in between.

wat role does nutirion play in hit? is it really important or something not 2give 2 much attention to? fair enuf if all u do is eat junk food everyday and uwont c growth, but even then if u r putting ur muscles under lots of stress theyhave no choice but 2 get bigger and stronger, with or without correct nutritionrite?

av been doing "progressive HIT training" with much success and it doeswork as long as you monitor your gains and keep progressing whether thats byweight or reps. The true key to this method is REST and your diet obviously,loads of proteins. Each muscle group would be resting almost two weeks beforegetting worked again and i would train only twice a week. I constantlyprogressed for 11 months and gained 11kg, some of it fat but christ could yousee the difference! All thanks to my mate "BigKol". Hes found the truesecret to this method!